• JAMB announced that the first-day 2026 UTME results will be released before midnight on Friday
• The announcement applies to candidates who sat for the exam on Thursday, April 16 as over 2.24 million candidates registered for the 2026 UTME
• The examination board advised candidates to rely on its verified platforms for updates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced that candidates who sat for the first day of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on Thursday, April 16, will receive their results before midnight on Friday, April 17.

The board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, disclosed this in a post on X, assuring candidates that the release process was already underway.

“This is to inform all candidates who sat for the 2026 UTME on Thursday, 16th April 2026, that their results will be released today before midnight. An official announcement will be made to the public and posted on this page as soon as the results are available. Thank you,” he wrote.

The 2026 UTME, which began on Thursday, April 16, is expected to run until April 22. The examination is being conducted in four daily sessions, starting from 7:30 a.m. and ending at 6:00 p.m., as part of efforts to manage the large number of candidates and reduce congestion at Computer-Based Test centres nationwide.

This year, a total of 2,243,816 candidates registered for the examination, representing a 10.5 per cent increase from the 2.03 million recorded in 2025.

The examination is being conducted across about 966 accredited CBT centres nationwide, with each centre expected to meet key operational standards such as stable electricity supply, reliable internet connectivity, functional computer systems and trained personnel.

A breakdown of the registration figures shows that Lagos State recorded the highest number of candidates with 381,814 registrations.

It was followed by Ogun State with 137,156, Oyo State with 122,662, Kaduna State with 103,498 and the Federal Capital Territory with 102,961.

Other states with high registration figures include Rivers State with 105,584 candidates and Kano State with 83,167, while Borno State and Zamfara State recorded the lowest figures with 13,483 and 14,861 candidates respectively.

Outside Nigeria, participation remained low, with Côte d’Ivoire leading with 32 candidates, followed by Equatorial Guinea with 16 and Burkina Faso with 14.

To improve accessibility and logistics, JAMB increased the number of CBT centres nationwide to nearly 1,000.

However, the board also delisted more than 20 centres across states including the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Edo and Plateau over technical deficiencies discovered during the mock UTME exercise.

The board advised candidates who sat for the first day of the examination to stay updated through its verified communication channels for accurate information on result access and other examination updates.

JAMB adjusts arrival time for 2026 UTME first session candidates

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had announced a minor adjustment to the arrival time for candidates sitting the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), particularly those scheduled for the first session.

The board said the adjustment followed concerns over early travel risks and logistical challenges faced by candidates and parents.